Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Amid ongoing terrorist attacks in parts of Pakistan and imposition of the prohibitory orders for security, India’s Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar, who has captured more media attention in the neighboring country than any other visiting leader, will attend the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit beginning on Tuesday.
Dr. Jaishankar, who is unlikely to spend more than 24 hours in Pakistan before flying back to India, will also join a welcome dinner hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Mohammed Shehbaz Sharif, the media reported on Monday.
Ahead of the EAM’s visit, the Punjab government in Pakistan has imposed Section 144 across Rawalpindi until October 17 to ensure law and order during the SCO summit.
Dr. Jaishankar is expected to land in Pakistan on Tuesday evening for the upcoming SCO Summit, being held on October 15 and 16.
He along with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin are likely to be among those joining the welcome dinner hosted by PM Shehbaz Sharif, according to the media reports.
Other security measures have also been put in place including tightening of security in the Adiala Jail, where former Pakistan PM Imran Khan has been locked up since 2023. His supporters, family members, or lawyers are not allowed to meet him.
The Shehbaz Sharif government has also deployed troops from the Pakistan Army in Islamabad from October 15 to 17 to maintain law and order during the SCO Summit. All marriage halls, restaurants, and cafes will remain closed in Rawalpindi and Islamabad for 5 days, Geo TV said.
Police have also issued notices to traders and hotel owners, warning that violations of these restrictions would result in penalties. A day after Dr. Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan was confirmed, the EAM declared that he was not going to discuss India’s bilateral ties with Pakistan but to be a “good member” of the multilateral SCO.
“I am scheduled to go to Pakistan…and that is for a meeting of the SCO Heads of Government… I’m not going there to discuss India-Pakistan relations. I’m going there to be a good member of the SCO but you know, since I’m a courteous and civil person, I will behave myself,” he remarked.
The SCO, founded in 2001, focuses on fostering political, economic, and security collaboration across the region.
Apart from India, its member-states include Pakistan, China, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, along with 16 other nations associated as observers or dialogue partners.